On a sunny Sunday not long ago, when most tennis enthusiasts would have been on the court, Mark Miller instead could be found in a North Shore toy store preparing to demonstrate his love of the game to a group of children.
Miller, creator of Mark Miller’s Munchkin Tennis, uses small rackets and low nets for his pupils, who range from age 3 to 9.
The Highland Park resident provides lessons at day-care centers, park districts and other spots where youngsters gather, such as birthday parties, from Chicago to Wisconsin.
Since he began the program last summer, Miller, 38, has shared his love of tennis with about 150 children. One of the best compliments he has received was when a parent likened him to the Pied Piper because of the way he captivates youngsters, Miller said.
The outgoing father of a 5-year-old daughter, Miller is quick to point out that his tennis program is not designed to mold children into tiny clones of Pete Sampras or other tennis pros.
Instead, he wants them to have fun while absorbing some of the basics of what can turn into a lifelong sport.
“The key for me is for the kids to have fun,” Miller said. “It might be the kid’s first exposure to sports; I want them walking away from (a session) with enthusiasm.”
Enthusiasm for the program is clearly something Miller has in abundance. With a staff of just two others, he finds himself frequently on the move to give lessons.
Thirty-minute sessions cost $8 to $12 per student, Miller said. The birthday party sessions, usually for eight to 12 children, last 45 minutes and cost $100. Some classes have just four children enrolled; others have as many as 25 students with two teachers.
Children learn basics, such as serves and two-handed backhands, but stay away from complexities, such as the language of the scoring system, Miller said.
Tennis has been a passion of Miller’s since he discovered the sport as a teen growing up in Glencoe. He was on the tennis team at New Trier West High School in Northfield and later taught children and adults part time.
After graduation from the University of Kansas, Miller joined the hotel industry, working in sales and marketing for Hilton and Hyatt, among others.
But shortly after he started a tennis program as a part-time operation on his own, he decided to leave the hotel business to concentrate on the Munchkin program full time.
He left the 9-to-5 routine with the encouragement of his wife, Blair, who dropped by the store during his demonstration with their daughter Alexis to cheer Miller on.
Her husband has always come up with a lot of ideas, Blair Miller said, but the Munchkin Tennis plan really seemed to strike a chord with parents and children.
Working with little ones is not for everyone, but Blair Miller said it suits her husband’s temperament. “He is patient and very enthusiastic and energetic” when dealing with children, she said.
As is often the case when someone starts a business, Miller said he is logging even more hours than he did in the hotel business.
“I work seven days a week, 10 hours a day; I love it, I wouldn’t trade this for anything,” Miller said. “I don’t even look at the clock.”
He has a few theories as to what makes tennis special:
“You don’t have to have any size to be good; a male can beat a female, and a female can beat a male. It’s a lifelong sport.”
Children who grow up in affluent suburbs where they have easy access to back-yard tennis courts and athletic clubs may be familiar with the game, but Miller wants to also spread knowledge of the sport to youngsters in outlying areas and the inner city.
As a way of reaching that goal, Miller has developed a program known as Volley to Help Mark’s Kids, which is designed to get individuals and companies to sponsor the cost of lessons for children whose families cannot afford it.
Miller recently conducted a few classes for some youthful residents of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes and the surrounding South Side neighborhood.
Everybody had a great time during the drills to improve hand-eye coordination and other tennis skills, Miller said.
“It’s a great feeling to see a kid smile,” Miller said. “These kids go away feeling good about themselves.”
“I thought that Mark was very, very energetic,” said Willye White, a former Olympic track silver medalist who runs athletic programs for kids who live in and around the Robert Taylor Homes. “He makes it fun, so the children want to participate.”
When children learn tennis, they learn more than just how to serve and volley, White said. “Tennis is an elite sport; it introduces children to gentleness,” she added.
Jan Wilson, physical education instructor and after-school program director at the private Latin School of Chicago, hired Miller to conduct a seven-week spring program for 25 kindergartners. “He had the kids’ attention all the time,” Wilson said. “The kids liked him. They warmed up to him immediately, and he comes in with this energy level that’s amazing.”
Suburban parents are also enthusiastic about the Munchkin Tennis program.
Bonnie Roter of Highland Park recalled her own childhood tennis lessons as dull, but “I got the sense that this was going to be a lot more fun, and it is,” she said. “It’s very child-oriented,” she said of the sessions that her 4-year-old daughter, Amanda, attends.
Irina Bershadsky of Highland Park has noted improvement in her son Robert’s coordination since he began lessons.
“He loves it; he likes to hit the ball,” she said of her son, a 4-year-old who has been enrolled since September. “As long as he likes it, we’ll continue.”
Deerfield resident Sharlene Sherman said her daughter, Tessa, also 4, loves to bring home the tennis balls that Miller uses as rewards.
“I want her to have fun,” Sherman said. “She’s tried other things and didn’t follow through; this she loves.”
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For more information, call 847-831-1546.
